M.V.'s Note:

I had the honor of receiving an Advance Reader Copy of Oblivion's Hymn and was enthralled from page one. You are immediately dropped into the whirlwind lives of Rhienne and Echo (my personal fav, don't tell Rhienne), best friends who are, in separate but parallel ways, on the run from the consequences of their bargains with the gods.

It's an immersive, intricately detailed world with a ton of unique twists, turns, and delightful DnD easter eggs, but my favorite part of this story has to be the chaotic main characters and their ride-or-die friendship. While they both make questionable choices, their vulnerabilities are so clearly articulated that it feels like you are seeing their beating hearts on the page. It makes it impossible not to fall in love with them. Additionally, their fears are entirely relatable (especially as a creative, iykyk) which is why I was especially draw to Echo's arc.

But, enough about me and my opinions, let's get into a brief interview with the author herself!

M.V.: How did your experience as a D&D DM (Dungeon Master) help shape the creation of your world?

A.P: The two things that are most important to me as a DM are also what are most important to me as a writer. The first is the rule of cool. In the game, this means that if it bends the rules a little but is super creative, I’ll let it happen. In writing, this means I like having magic systems that have consequences but aren’t too restricting. Equivalent exchange was the perfect vehicle for that—you can make almost anything you want happen…as long as you’re willing to pay for it. I also got to throw in a bunch of stuff inspired by media I’ve loved and figure out how to work it into the plot, which was super fun. The second is not to railroad your players, aka forcing them to follow the path YOU the DM wants them to follow. This takes away player agency and makes a character-centric campaign way less fun. I’ve always been a super bare bones outliner for this reason. I’m a big believer in letting my characters tell me where they want to go, and shaping the world around them. Sometimes this makes for a *fun* editing experience, but writing and D&D have played off each other really well over the years in making me better at rolling with the punches.

M.V.: What made you choose to focus on a platonic friendship between the two leads, rather than a romantic one?

A.P: The easy answer: I’ve honestly never had much of an interest in writing romance. I tried once because I thought it would be more marketable to agents and that book almost made me quit writing. So many people do it better than I could! The longer answer is that I always start a new project with a list of things that are significant to me, and when I started OH, I’d just come out of a major upheaval with my health. D&D (and in particular, the friend whose character my character was besties with) really kept me going during that time. The campaign ended due to scheduling issues, but the dynamic duo wouldn’t get out of my head. I wanted to honor them, and my friend, by finishing their story. And of course it took on a life of its own! 

M.V.: What character is most like you?

A.P: They definitely both have pieces of me. Rhienne has this idea that there’s a certain number of times you can fail, a certain amount of mistakes you can make, and once you pass that threshold, that’s it. You’re a failure, irredeemable, there’s no hope for you. I held this belief in my early twenties—that I needed to have my shit figured out by a certain point or else I’d be worthless and no one would want to be around me. Echo’s journey as an artist is a really close reflection of mine. She’s had this single-minded goal of being a famous bard and has been trying to ‘make it’ without any luck for years. But she’s also been hiding big pieces of herself because she’s afraid that showing all of herself will invite ridicule and put her in danger. Creating all these masks has protected her, but it’s also kept her from making music that can truly connect with people, because she hasn’t connected with herself. Safe to say writing this book has been very healing!

M.V.: What part of writing this story has brought you the greatest joy?

A.P: I gave myself permission to just DO STUFF with this book. Throw things into the sandbox and see what happened. I wanted to make a world as wondrous as it is dangerous—I think a sense of wonder is an often overlooked part of fantasy these days—and evoke that joy you only seem to get in animated kid’s movies. Seeing the swashbuckling adventure come to life, full of so much color and music and hope, has been so rewarding. 

M.V.: Do you have a favorite quote you are willing to share?

A.P: “It is possible that I may make things worse, but it is important, vitally important, that I try. Even if I cannot see what moves beneath me, or above me, or right in front of me, the one thing I know for certain is that I cannot stay where I am.”

M.V.: What do you hope readers will take from your book?

A.P: That there is always a reason to keep going. Whether you’re continuing on the same path or starting a new one, whatever stage of your life you’re in, there is hope and light just around the corner. And if you can’t see it yourself, look for it in the people around you. Platonic love is just as powerful in this regard as romantic love. Those life long friends are the people that have seen all of you, fought for you, and grown with you. They can see you more clearly than you see yourself, and that is invaluable in a world trying its damndest to divide and isolate us.